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How to optimize a restaurant for visitors (PRO)

Overview

If your restaurant welcomes visitors (customers who are not staying at the property), there are several features in the CMS that allow you to offer them a seamless experience—without requiring them to download the guest app. From sharing booking links to publishing digital menus, this guide explains how to optimize your restaurant’s visibility and usability for non-staying guests.

Before getting started

Before configuring your restaurant for visitors, make sure you:

  • Have completed the restaurant setup in Content > Facilities > Restaurants.
  • Have enabled the PRO booking system and created at least one timetable.

Who are visitors?

In STAY, visitors are customers who do not have a reservation to stay at the hotel. These may include local residents or guests from nearby hotels.

The CMS allows you to manage bookings and share information with them through direct links—no app installation required.

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Enable bookings for visitors

To allow non-staying guests to make a reservation:

  1. Go to PRO > [Select the service] > Settings > Restrictions.
  2. Scroll down to the Allow bookings from visitors section.
  3. Enable the Activated switch.
  4. Choose the channel(s):
    • Manually by staff (for phone or in-person bookings managed by staff).
    • App (if they’ll access through the web app or widget).
  5. Click Save changes.

You can select one or both channels depending on how you want to receive reservations.

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Step 2: Choose how to promote and receive bookings

Once visitor access is enabled, you can use one or several of the following tools to promote the restaurant and receive reservations.

Option A: Booking widget

A booking widget is an embeddable tool that allows visitors to make reservations directly from an external channel — such as your hotel’s website or a third-party landing page — without having to navigate through the guest app. When a customer books through the widget, the reservation is automatically recorded in the CMS under PRO > Reservations, just like in-app bookings.

To implement a booking widget:

  1. Contact our Support team to request a Booking widget for your restaurant.
  2. Once you have the public booking link, copy it and share it.

You can share this link:

  • On the hotel or restaurant’s official website.
  • On your Google Business Profile.
  • On social media platforms.
  • Via QR codes at physical locations.

Guests can make and cancel reservations from this link—without downloading the guest app.

Option B: Catalog widget

A catalog widget is an embeddable tool that allows visitors to view your service catalog (e.g., restaurant menu) directly from an external channel — such as your hotel’s website or a promotional landing page. It does not allow direct booking, but it provides customers with detailed information, including images, descriptions, and prices of services.

To implement a catalog widget:

  1. Go to Content > Facilities > Restaurants.
  2. Select the restaurant, click Edit and open the Advanced catalog tab.
  3. Create or update your digital menu.
  4. Request our Support team the catalog widget activation.
  5. Once ready, go to My App > Widget.
  6. Generate the public URL for the catalog.

You can now:

  • Share the catalog link on your restaurant website, Google profile, or other platforms.
  • Avoid duplicating information—no need to manually update menus in multiple places.
  • Ensure that both staying guests and visitors always see the most up-to-date version.

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Option C: Reserve with Google integration

You can also use the integration with Reserve with Google, which will allow visitors to:

  • Book a table directly from the Google Search or Google Maps listing of your restaurant.
  • View real-time availability based on your CMS timetable.
  • Complete bookings without phone calls or third-party tools.

Important: Ensure that the opening hours displayed on your Google Business Profile align with the opening hours specified in your restaurant’s details in the CMS.

Note: You don’t need to set up a booking widget or catalog widget in the app to enable this integration. Reserve with Google works independently from your in-app restaurant configuration.

Contact our Support team to request the Reserve with Google integration for your restaurant.

 

Tip: You can combine these options. For example, use the Reserve with Google integration for visibility and the booking widget for direct reservations on your website.

 

Step 3: Enable payment options (if needed)

If you want visitors to pay for their bookings, you can enable one or both of the following payment options:

  1. Go to PRO > [Select your restaurant] > Settings > Payments.
  2. In the Payment options for visitors section, activate:
    • Direct payment – for onsite payments by cash or card.
    • Online payment – if you have integrated a payment gateway.

Customers will see the available payment methods during the booking process. If no option is enabled, bookings will be completed without payment.

 

Next steps

After configuring your restaurant for visitors:

  • Promote your booking and catalog links across your digital channels (e.g. website, Google profile, social media).
  • Monitor visitor activity in the CMS from PRO > Reservations.
  • Train your staff to easily identify bookings from guests and visitors for smoother service.
  • Use Insights to track where bookings are coming from and understand the balance between guests and visitors.

 

Need further assistance?

If you have additional questions or require further assistance:

  • Contact us via live chat
  • Send a ticket to our Support team
  • Visit STAY Academy, our training platform.